I've loved to cook since I was 9 yrs old. My Mother was a great cook who could tell you every seasoning & spice in a recipe. I can't do that, but I can tell how a recipe will taste by reading it, so some of Mom rubbed off. Hooray!

My favorite things to cook

Middle Eastern cuisine, Pasta's, and many others. I seriously love to bake which The Pampered Chef has made much easier with their cool tools.

My favorite family cooking traditions

Leg of lamb with rice & gravy was a mainstay of the Holidays. Also, on New Year's eve, I love to make Tourtiere, a French Canadian meat pie, made with pork, beef, & other yummy thing's.

This was the simplest and best tasting meatloaf I've ever eaten. I had to substitute couscous for crackers because that was the only starch I had and it was still delicious. What I liked best was that I could taste the flavor of the beef itself, not onion soup mix, or any of the other typical seasonings. BRAVO! Even Mr. Picky (my husband) liked it - he said it was "pretty good" which is high praise from him.

This is an excellent quick recipe for black bean soup. I omit the beer just b'cuz I don't like it. Also, I'd saute 1/4 to 1/2 lb. chopped bacon in the pan first, remove the bacon, & saute the veggies in the drippings. This adds an authentic flavor to the recipe.

This recipe is fantastic & authentic. I agree that Pork is an absolute necessity for Cuban Black Beans. I'll often use a smoked pork foot. If folks want more spice, it's easy to add. I wouldn't rate this recipe down for that. It's nice to have a slow cooker option for us working woman.